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What to expect at an ESA assessment?

sceneparade

HI,

I received my letter today from the ESA who have instructed me to attend an ESA assessment for the 24th September.

Could anyone advise me of the format of the assessment and give any advice that may be of help to me.

Is it any different from the PIP assessment?

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poppy123456

Hi,

It's similar to a PIP assessment but has different criteria. The questions they ask you will be based on how your conditions affect you and you'll be assessed on your ability to do any type of work. You will be watched from the minute you arrive, just like PIP assessments. More information here in this link. Good luck.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/help-with-your-esa-claim/esa-medical-assessment/

sceneparade

@poppy123456

But isn't that the same as PIP: being assessed on the ability to do any type of work?

poppy123456

No definitely not. PIP isn't about not being able to work. People claim PIP and work.

sceneparade

@poppy123456

So, if I provide them with medical documentation that describes why I can't work, such as safety reasons to myself and others, are they still going to force me to do something anyway?

poppy123456

It may help yes depending on the reasons but no one can speculate what the decision will be. Substantial risk relates to reg 35 for Support Group/LCWRA. https://cpag.org.uk/welfare-rights/resources/article/making-exception

Did you send that evidence when you returned the form to then?

cristobal

@sceneparade - you won't be forced to do anything.

I believe that they will take into account the safety issues and assess what work you are able to do that is safe ...

It's about what work you can do rather than what you can't ...

Good luck with the assessment ...

kami24

It's according who you see i think as well is i saw a nice woman and she asked me questiona slightly different to pip and she observed me and the receptionist perhaps does im not sure how it works but people do vary and how they observe you does too hopefully you have a nice assessor

OverlyAnxious

I found the ESA assessment a bit easier than the PIP assessment tbh, but that may just be down to different assessors and different environments. With PIP it felt like they were trying to confuse me and catch me out with obscure and irrelevant questions, whereas with ESA they seemed more understanding of the problems and affects.

sceneparade

@poppy123456

Yes, I sent it in with the ESA assessment questionnaire.

This is some of the points my doctor made in the letter to the ESA:

As a result of Autism, he finds it difficult to engage with others. This is because it makes him stressed and depressed that he cannot function. This is exemplified in the case where we took him shopping, and whilst on his ipodtouch, a member of the public asked if he could use his ipodtouch. Subsequently, he was deceived and he never saw it again. As a consequence of his difficulties with social interactions and communications, whereby he finds reading others hard, he was left stressed and depressed and would then self-harm.

In addition, he can get anxious around people he doesn’t know, particularly in public where there are lots of people. To illustrate this further, he recently had to attend hospital with his brother due to renal colic. As a result of speaking to the doctor, he felt anxious and quickly left. Accordingly, he needs help and support from someone one he knows well to be able to interact with people he doesn’t know well, or else he spends most of his time at home because he fears intimacy – as we have been informed by numerous psychiatrists - when engaging with people, which can stress him out.

What is more, as a result of his EUPD and his ASD he can become impulsive and irate, which he can act out on others. This alienates others and compounds his difficulties.

Moreover, as a result of difficulties interacting with others, it can lead to depression and anxiety, which results in self-harm. On two occasions this has result in him being sectioned, once at x psychiatric hospital and the other the x Unit at University Hospital x. Furthermore, his depression and difficulties when interacting with others has led to psychosis (hence psychosis-NOS)

Not sure the effect this will have, but there is more points like this that she wrote in the letter but on other criteria.

Silver925

They will come out and greet you and introduce themselves. They usually ask about your individual problems and how you cope day to day. If you have anxiety problems and say came by bus they might assume you can travel on your own so if you can take a friend or ask them if they would pay expenses for private taxi. If you have problems like anxiety sometimes you don't feel comfortable on buses. Physical or mental just answer as much detail as you can. You can also ask for your medical to be recorded if that would reassure you. You get to keep a copy for yourself.You should ask CHDA for this before your appointment the number is below as they don't seem to include it in there letters 08002888777.